Immune Boosting Chicken Soup

When I was a little, my great Aunt used to make this amazing Polish chicken soup called Rosół to help fight a cold or flu. It was amazing and you could instantly feel it’s healing effects with every mouthful. If we wanted noodles with our soup, she would instantly beat up a few fresh eggs and slowly pour the mix in a thin stream into the simmering stock which made the best egg noodles. With a few tweaks to her original recipe, the ingredients in my chicken soup have been specifically selected to help fight cold + flu. Don’t be scared off by the amount of garlic in the recipe – after a few minutes the flavour will infuse into the stock and give it richness and density. It’s the key to it’s flavour and staying cold and flu free all winter. I can guarantee that one bowl of this soup and you will instantly feel the healing effects. It only takes 10 minutes to make and it’s totally delicious. Sip it slowly, and enjoy.

What’s good about it:

Garlic, turmeric and ginger are potent detoxifying and antiviral herbs to help the body get rid of toxins, stimulate circulation, reduce inflammation, aid digestion and boost your immune system. Coriander also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can help fight disease. Adding a little protein such as chicken will supply your body with essential amino acids your body needs to heal and nourish. The perfect ingredients to help you get through the winter cold.

Combine the garlic, turmeric, ginger, stock, water and chicken into a large pot.Simmer for 5 – 10 minutes over a low heat until chicken is cooked through and flavours have infused into the stock.Add mirin, tamari and coriander just before serving.Serve in large bowls and sip slowly. Enjoy.

Notes:
Vegetarians can use vegetable stock in place of chicken stock and use my lane kluski or organic silken tofu in place of the chicken to boost protein.
For lane kluski (polish for egg noodles) beat 2 eggs and pour in a thin stream over the simmering stock for the best egg noodles you’ll ever eat.
Fresh turmeric is available from your local grocer. if using dry then only use 1/4 teaspoon but fresh is best for it’s anti-viral properties.
Other vegetables can be added if you like such as shiitake mushroom, spinach, kale.
A little chilli or my XO Sauce can be added for a little heat.
This soup only takes 10 minutes to make, which is why chicken breasts are used.
Obviously you can make this soup using a whole chicken, using all of the stock and removing the tender meat from the chicken then stirring through the stock before serving. This will take approx 1 1/2 hours.

I love the idea of that much garlic, plus ginger, turmeric and coriander!
I prefer simmering an entire chook in a big pot, then adding vegetables and spices. I would have thought your aunt used a whole chook, as opposed to breasts.

Margaret – Teresa did mention that she had made a few tweaks to the original recipe. A hole chook would prob give more depth of flavour to the soup, but then there is no way it would be done in ten minutes either… I love that this is such a quick meal, and the garlic ginger and turmeric sound amazing!

I’ve just woken up this morning feeling unwell, so this will be my dinner – thank you, great timing! Any more recipes for assisting getting over a cold or boosting immune for winter once on the mend would be greatly appreciated !

Hi Teresa, I just wanted to say how much I love receiving your recipes. They are always so totally awesome especially as you give alterations/variations to suit someone like me who chooses a gluten and diary free diet (low in sugar too). I can’t wait to try this one out especially with all that yuumy garlic … I’ll be adding the chilli too. Thanks heaps :-)

Hi Teresa. Thank you for your flow of wonderful recipes for promoting health and fitness. I have been making chicken stock for a while but can not get a good thick geletine (which is supposed to be the immune building goodness bit ). I am using organic chicken bones, pounded and cut up and add vinegar to draw out the nutrients but never get geletine. Would you have the secret handed down to you from your great Aunt?

Better late than never. ;)
For my chicken stock I find using the carcass of a Sunday roast chicken is the way to go. I strip the useable meat off the bones, but leave the skin, scraps and even leftover stuffing stays in the chook for extra flavour and colour. Add celery, carrot, onion, salt, pepper, some rosemary and thyme, garlic and approx 1/4 cup of either Apple cider or regular white vinegar. Then cover with water. I do it in my slow cooker and cook on low overnight (approx 12 hours.) then obviously strain and store as you usually would. :) perfect every time and always ends up with a great jelly consistency when cooled.

Yum Yum Yum! Just had a taste test and it’s delicious. My partner and I are currently fighting colds at the moment so I thought I’d try this one. Thanks for the yummy recipe! We love garlic! Could not source fresh tumeric but I was promised by my local spice man that he’d have more soon!! Cannot wait to try it again with fresh tumeric! Cheers!

Very good! Wow – the fresh grated tumeric is something else!! I had read in the past about how incredibly good tumeric was for you, but never thought of it other than the powder. Its an incredibly pungent herb, and I started with a bit less than recommended – found it an unusual but agreeable taste. Will be looking out for other recipes I can add this to, hard for me to understand what other flavours to combine it with – i guess sweet curry based things such as your vegie curry, and anything else with ground tumeric…

Teresa, this was absolutely AWESOME. Easy to make, quick, so tasty and the house smelt delicious while it was cooking. I made this because the family has an awful cold, and it making everyone feel better. Thanks heaps – sharing this one with all my friends.

Hi Teresa, l am enjoying making and eating the various recipes you send thank you so easy and yummy.. I want to make the soup for my daughter but is not keen on coriander. Can I replace coriander with something else as good.

Hi Teresa,
I made this soup tonight. I have been very unwell all day with a cold a in my lucid moments I kept thinking I would make this soup. I did, and loved it (so did all of the fam Miss 3 and Miss 12 and hubby) and also loved that it was made and ready in such a short time. i am feeling better already. Thankyou!

This recipe is exactly what I was looking for – I just bought fresh turmeric and fresh ginger from my organic delivery service and with a house full of sick people I need something to help fight off the germs.

Going to make it in the pressure cooker with free range organic chicken legs.

just made this again, for my poorly hubby, with white fish instead of the chicken. I am assuming that it is the other ingredients that make it immune boosting, the fish is just for the yum factor. This soup is fantastic even without a cold. Thanks again

Hi!
I am enjoying the soup as I am writing this and it’s gorgeous. I came down with a really nasty flu (high fever, incredibly soar throat, the works) and I really wanted a nice soup to keep my energy up. This tastes amazing, and I hope it makes me feel better. Didn’t dare to try the egg noodle bit, was a bit too hungry to take a chance that it might fail, but I will try it next time!

This is incredible! Best soup I’ve ever tasted.
I added organic soba noodles, carrot and corn kernels to bulk it up.
Wow Thank-you for sharing this special recipe.
BTW: I’m only learning to cook so I appreciated the simplicity.

I just made this and it was SO AMAZING! I used 6 free range chicken drumsticks and everything else the same. The only thing I didn’t do was follow Teresa’s instruction to sip slowly. I think this is going to be a regular winter dinner at our place.

Made the soup when I had one of the nastiest flues I have ever had, OMG, I lived on this for 2 days and I could not believe how amazing I felt. I call it the happy soup….. Even without the flu I make this and my body just smiles and says thank you…

A friend sent this recipe to me when she heard I was sick. I have just made and devoured a half batch and I can FEEL it healing me! No fresh turmeric though but added the coriander root chopped, and some fresh lemon juice. Next time I will also cut up a birdseye chilli into it. Thank you!

I’m Polish and grew up with my Nan’s delish Polish Chicken Noodle Soup…and I still make it when I feel like I’m getting a cold, it’s very nourishing. Today I tried this version, and wow…it’s delicious! The ginger makes it so warming. Unfortunately my lane kluski did not work at all….they turned into this glooby mess at the top, luckily I was able to remove them easily. I cheated and added a small amount of pasta, and I varied the recipe by adding in carrot (which is in my Nan’s recipe). Yummo!

This is awesome soup! Came down with a nasty head cold a couple of days ago, hoping this will help kill it quicker! Tastes amazing and it is the first time I have used fresh turmeric, I will definitely be using the fresh stuff in more things from now on. So thanks for such fantastic, healthy and easy recipes.

Yum yum yum!! I’ve always found chicken soup a bit tasteless and bland. But this is far from that!!! First time I’ve used fresh tumeric too . Don’t think I’ll be going back to the dried stuff!! So tasty!! Thankyou :-)

I LOVE THIS SOUP. I occasionally wake up feeling a bit sniffly and under the weather. I make this soup for dinner and then have leftovers for lunch the following day and not once is the last 2 years have I actually had a cold or flu.

WOW! I felt the symptoms… itchy eyes, excess sneezing, tingling nose.
I made this delicious soup and the very next day, I felt back to normal. Thank you. I have been circulating this recipe, it’s a winner!

I am sure I came across a receipe of yours called, Detox Kale & English spin ache, I cooked it on Monday evening and have it in the oven cooking right now. I went to look the receipe up on my iPad and just cannot find it, was wanting to make sure I hadn’t left anything out. can you help me?

I made this soup tonight and thought it was really good. My husband thought there was too much ginger, but it tasted good and gave it an extra kick. I added mushrooms, spinach and a little bit of grated carrot (which sank to the bottom – so wouldn’t do that next time) I am planning to eat the leftovers for lunch in hopes to get over a cold that I am fighting. The only thing is… it took me a lot longer than 10 mins including the prep. so next time I will use a whole chicken since it won’t take me that much longer to make.

Hi, ty for this recipe. I have it on in my electric pressure cooker. I am using chicken frames, cos that’s what hubby got me when I asked chicken pces, lol. I was diagnosed with Shingles yesterday and hubby had a dreadful coughy cold/flu. And only 3 days post xmas. Can’t wait for it. Hope I remember to try the egg. I have farm fresh eggs here. TY again,

I am so excited i cannot cook and have made the Immune Boosting Chicken Soup 3 x times in less than 2 weeks when fambam was sick! How easy can u get grate,chop,chuck into pot and omg each mouthful just tastes and feels like…healthy, yummy goodness!! Will def try out some other recipes of TCs

Not only is this soup good for you (read above) but it’s absolutely delicious. I made it tonight, and it has to be one of the best soups I’ve ever made, and I’ve been cooking for 50 years. Just superb.

Thank you for this recipe Teresa it was divine and a big hit with my teenage son’s. I did use fresh organic turmeric as I was away and able to buy it. I was wondering how much turmeric I would use if using the powdered form as I live in a remote area and buying it fresh isn’t possible. With thanks, Colleen

I would like to make this soup using home made chicken stock. I’ve never made stock before and looked at your recipe for chicken stock which uses wings roasted in the oven first. I don’t imagine you’d get a great deal of chicken meat from the wings to later use in the soup. So can you make this soup by boiling up a whole fresh chicken with the vegies mentioned to make the stock then use the resulting stock and chicken meat to make this recipe?

I’m going to make this today & wondered what you think it would be like it I blitzed it to blend at the end? I sometimes blend soups as my little ones enjoy them much more that way -do you think it would be suitable for this soup??

This soup is amazing! I would never normally make soup without any onion and it was beautiful. I added dried shitaake mushrooms, rice wine vinegar and I used parsley as I didn’t have any coriander. It was amazing and made me feel so much better!

This was absolutely FABULOUS, definitely helped kill of the dreaded winter lurgie. Will definitely make again, I was given a tip to add pepper as it helps your body absorb the medicinal values of the turmeric.

[…] Time and again, studies have shown that by eating chicken soup, the inflammatory white cells are prevented from moving through the body, thereby reducing the chance of catching a cold. It seems that the amino acid cysteine, which is released from the chicken meat during the cooking process, is quite similar to acetylcysteine, which is a bronchitis drug. Additionally, the salt in the chicken broth thins out the mucous similar to over the counter cough medicines. Then when you add spices like garlic, the immune properties of the soup are even higher. You can find an excellent immune boosting chicken soup recipe here. […]

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